DE 103 43 281 A1 discloses a method and a device for producing and bottling oxygen-enriched fluids. This device comprises a filling member with a fluid valve, and also a nitrogen-filled chamber, wherein a through-connection for flushing and/or pre-charging the container with nitrogen can be established between the nitrogen-filled chamber and a container attached to the filling member.
DE 201 20 014 U1 describes a rotary filling machine for filling bottles. This rotary filling machine comprises a rotor which is rotatable about a vertical axis and on which a plurality of filling valves are arranged. The filling valves are connected to a fluid container via fluid lines.
DE 600 06 002 T2 describes a filling head with a flow that can be adjusted by means of a single device. In this case, there is provided in a discharge valve a valve body which is displaceable in the axial direction of the valve. By virtue of this valve body, an adjustable flow quantity reaches a bottling valve, which can function using just one single actuation device.
DE 30 40 880 A1 discloses a container filling member with a return air tube, wherein a permanent fluid barrier is provided in this return air tube. In this case, the return air tube is arranged directly in the filling member and the fluid barrier serves to allow a dry pre-charging for filling the containers.
DE 101 29 155 A1 discloses a filling member for container filling machines. This filling member comprises an outlet for the product, which can be closed by a valve having a valve seat and a movable valve body. The closing movement of this valve body is slowed at least in the end phase by a damping device. Here, too, the valve is arranged directly within the filling member.
Usually the containers to be filled are filled at a certain flow rate or at a maximum flow rate. Under certain circumstances however, for example if the containers that are to be filled break or if the containers exhibit a crack or a non-optimally cooled base after blowing, excessively high flow rates may occur in the filling valve. Due to this excessively high flow rate, considerable pressure shocks occur when the valve is closed, which cause stress on the filling valve and on the components and may even lead to failure of the gaskets.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device for filling containers which prevents overloading of the filling valves at all times. In addition, the intention is also to provide a device which allows a switching of the filling valve during production, without a corresponding annular vessel having to be emptied in order to do this.